American Society Of Echocardiography News
2
Volume 14 Number 4 Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography 15A Although the ASE was founded in 1975, its professional organizational structure was created in 1983. Joe Kisslo, then president of the ASE, deserves immense credit for rec- ognizing that our young society needed professional administrative help to grow and expand its scope of activ- ity. The decision was made more obvious when the ASE treasurer, David Sahn, was paged over the loudspeaker while skiing to answer an emergency call regarding what to do because a member’s check had just bounced. Joe spoke with Bill Nelligan, the executive director of the American College of Cardiology (ACC), about the prob- lem. He put Joe in touch with a mutual friend and board member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), Mike Olson. Mike ran an eponymous management organization, Olson Management Group (OMG), which helped professional organizations manage their opera- tions.A deal was struck, and ever since, OMG has been an essential part of the ASE. The ASE account was assigned to an executive who was also executive director for 4 other groups. She was a highly professional, dedicated, and enthusiastic person who took on her new duties with a commitment to excellence. She was an honors graduate of North Carolina State, majoring in French. She traveled the world for 7 years as a flight attendant for Pan Am before starting with OMG in 1979. Sharon Perry in 1983 became our first and only executive director. The fledgling ASE had 2000 members, and the first order of business involved developing an accurate membership list, confirming the collection of dues, and making sure that the society was financially stable. Phyllis Johnson, our second ASE staff member, was assigned the duty of developing an ASE newsletter to improve commu- nication with our members. The ASE became more financially stable and gained effective administrative support, resulting in an increased scope of activity. Successive presidents and boards intro- duced our Journal of the American Society of Echocardi- ography, an annual scientific meeting, educational courses, an advocacy and public relations program, expanded doc- uments, a Web site, ASEUniversity, research awards, and increased alliances with other organizations. Over the last 18 years, the ASE has grown from 2000 to more than 7500 members as a result of its activities and stature. This tre- mendous and ongoing growth of activity required a dyna- mic response from OMG to provide a larger staff with broad and varied skills.It also required our executive direc- tor to expand the scope of her activity, become responsi- ble for managing a larger and more diverse staff, and deal with an increasing number of ASE committees and task forces. AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY NEWS President’s Message SHARON PERRY LEADERSHIP AWARD Throughout this time, Sharon Perry has been the glue that has kept the society together.She has combined dedi- cation, compassion, thoughtfulness, and great skill to en- sure that the best interests of the ASE are served. Mike Olson, Sharon’s nurturing mentor, shared with me that her excellence and kindhearted approach always made OMG staff want to work with her on the society’s behalf.She had the rare quality of being a magnet for creative staff who knew that much would be expected but even more would be learned by Sharon’s example. Mike sold OMG in 1998 to become the chief executive officer of the ASAE, a singu- lar honor. Sharon was instrumental in convincing David Feild, a former executive vice president of the ACC, to move to Raleigh and become OMG’s executive vice presi- dent. David has done an excellent job in supplying OMG with the professional leadership and mentorship that Mike Olsen provided for so many years. Sharon has given a great deal of herself to the society in the past 18 years. She has worked with 9 ASE presidents, providing invaluable counsel and retaining irreplaceable institutional memory of how the society has operated effectively.When I was fortunate enough to become the ASE’s 12th president, my initial request was to make sure that Sharon would stay through my term. Everyone who has had the privilege of working with Sharon shares the same feeling of gratitude for how effective she has been and how she has made life infinitely easier.She knows how to accomplish things with gentle persuasion, exceptional
Transcript of American Society Of Echocardiography News
Volume 14 Number 4 Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography 15A
Although the ASE was founded in 1975, its professionalorganizational structure was created in 1983. Joe Kisslo,then president of the ASE,deserves immense credit for rec-ognizing that our young society needed professionaladministrative help to grow and expand its scope of activ-ity. The decision was made more obvious when the ASEtreasurer, David Sahn, was paged over the loudspeakerwhile skiing to answer an emergency call regarding whatto do because a member’s check had just bounced. Joespoke with Bill Nelligan, the executive director of theAmerican College of Cardiology (ACC), about the prob-lem. He put Joe in touch with a mutual friend and boardmember of the American Society of Association Executives(ASAE), Mike Olson. Mike ran an eponymous managementorganization, Olson Management Group (OMG), whichhelped professional organizations manage their opera-tions.A deal was struck, and ever since, OMG has been anessential part of the ASE.
The ASE account was assigned to an executive who wasalso executive director for 4 other groups. She was a highlyprofessional, dedicated, and enthusiastic person who tookon her new duties with a commitment to excellence. Shewas an honors graduate of North Carolina State, majoringin French. She traveled the world for 7 years as a flightattendant for Pan Am before starting with OMG in 1979.Sharon Perry in 1983 became our first and only executivedirector. The fledgling ASE had 2000 members, and thefirst order of business involved developing an accuratemembership list, confirming the collection of dues, andmaking sure that the society was financially stable. PhyllisJohnson, our second ASE staff member, was assigned theduty of developing an ASE newsletter to improve commu-nication with our members.
The ASE became more financially stable and gainedeffective administrative support, resulting in an increasedscope of activity. Successive presidents and boards intro-duced our Journal of the American Society of Echocardi-ography, an annual scientific meeting, educational courses,an advocacy and public relations program, expanded doc-uments, a Web site, ASEUniversity, research awards, andincreased alliances with other organizations. Over the last18 years, the ASE has grown from 2000 to more than 7500members as a result of its activities and stature. This tre-mendous and ongoing growth of activity required a dyna-mic response from OMG to provide a larger staff withbroad and varied skills. It also required our executive direc-tor to expand the scope of her activity, become responsi-ble for managing a larger and more diverse staff, and dealwith an increasing number of ASE committees and taskforces.
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY NEWS
President’s MessageSHARON PERRY LEADERSHIP AWARD
Throughout this time, Sharon Perry has been the gluethat has kept the society together. She has combined dedi-cation, compassion, thoughtfulness, and great skill to en-sure that the best interests of the ASE are served. MikeOlson, Sharon’s nurturing mentor, shared with me that herexcellence and kindhearted approach always made OMGstaff want to work with her on the society’s behalf.She hadthe rare quality of being a magnet for creative staff whoknew that much would be expected but even more wouldbe learned by Sharon’s example. Mike sold OMG in 1998to become the chief executive officer of the ASAE, a singu-lar honor. Sharon was instrumental in convincing DavidFeild, a former executive vice president of the ACC, tomove to Raleigh and become OMG’s executive vice presi-dent. David has done an excellent job in supplying OMGwith the professional leadership and mentorship that MikeOlsen provided for so many years.
Sharon has given a great deal of herself to the society inthe past 18 years. She has worked with 9 ASE presidents,providing invaluable counsel and retaining irreplaceableinstitutional memory of how the society has operatedeffectively. When I was fortunate enough to become theASE’s 12th president, my initial request was to make surethat Sharon would stay through my term. Everyone whohas had the privilege of working with Sharon shares thesame feeling of gratitude for how effective she has beenand how she has made life infinitely easier.She knows howto accomplish things with gentle persuasion, exceptional
16A Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography Volume 14 Number 4
I will ask the Board to sponsor an annual Sharon PerryLeadership Award to be given at the ASAE annual meeting.The ASAE membership includes chief staff executives fromkey industrial,philanthropic,and professional associations.The award would be given to a professional associationexecutive who has demonstrated Sharon’s remarkablemanagement skills, particularly in the area of exceptionalleadership in staff/board relationships. The first awardwould be presented in Philadelphia in early August at thenext ASAE national meeting. I will ask Joe Kisslo to be theASE representative in attendance to close the circle ofSharon’s career with the ASE and provide insight into howshe can be a role model for all association executives.
Although Sharon ends her formal association with theASE, I know that we will be able to continue to call on herfor advice and wise counsel. I suspect that in time she willdo other exciting things once she has had a chance to re-lax and contemplate her future. Sharon will leave us withvery fond memories, having touched the hearts of every-one with whom she has worked. Longfellow, in his poem“A Psalm of Life,” describes her legacy.
Lives of great men [and women] all remind usWe can make our lives sublime,And, departing, leave behind usFootprints on the sands of time;Footprints, that perhaps another,Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,Seeing, shall take heart again.Let us, then, be up and doing,With a heart for any fate;Still achieving, still pursuing,Learn to labor and to wait.
Harry Rakowski, MDPresident
American Society of Echocardiography
interpersonal skills, and the ability to kindly ignore presi-dents’ requests to do the wrong thing until they smartenup and finally suggest the right action. Sharon has a tre-mendous respect for the ASE sonographer and physicianvolunteers who freely give their time and hard work tomake the ASE flourish.She has a southern courtesy of man-ner that gives assistance without threatening and wisdomwithout overbearing.
Many of you will be surprised and saddened to learn thatSharon will be retiring from OMG and ASE activities at theend of our scientific sessions this June in Seattle. Her hus-band, Robert, will retire from his business, and he andSharon want to spend more time together traveling andsailing and also helping their daughter, Perry, choose a col-lege.We all come to a crossroad in our lives where we needto change what we do. Sharon’s passion and good wishesfor the ASE remain undiminished. Sharon is irreplaceable,but an outstanding team remains, who will ably carry onher tradition of excellence. We are fortunate that RobinBarry has returned to the ASE as director of public affairsand will assume the role of executive director at Sharon’sretirement. Robin will bring her own highly effective styleof leadership, and the ASE is extremely fortunate that shehas been groomed by Sharon to take her place. Life will goon, but Sharon will never be forgotten. She will keep intouch with us, and we will certainly continue to consultwith her.
How do you honor and recognize someone who hasbeen so instrumental to the success of the ASE? I thoughtthat this should involve recognition by her peers in thecreation of an ASE–sponsored award for association man-agement. I called Mike Olson, who had heard the newsabout Sharon. He was delighted to involve the ASAE in rec-ognizing Sharon’s achievements and provided very helpfuladvice on how to do so. Mike found it hard to believe thatthe young woman he had hired such a seemingly shorttime ago was now ready to retire.
